Musician modellers

[Pete the Elaner]

I guess there are some musicians among us?

I never learned to read music until last year & decided it is something I should have done, so why not start now?

Then I decided that if I learned to read it, I should play something.

I like to be a little different, but not too different so I chose to learn the bass guitar.

I don't find it very easy yet, but I am getting better (I hope) & I certainly enjoy it.

[spikey]

Not a musician and at my age unlikely to ever become one, but I am enjoying teaching myself keyboards, learning to read as I go.  Having said that, I'm not looking forward to getting my head round the bass clef, which is next on my to-do list.  Always fancied guitar but could never get to grips, whereas with keyboards everything seems more "logical", and for me intuitive.  One thing's for sure, at £300 the Korg EK50's remarkable value for money.

 

Incidentally, Mrs Spikey used to play tenor sax but gave it up 35 years ago.  The deal was that if I treated myself to a decent keyboard, she got herself another sax, which she finally did in the form of a lovely silver-plated Yamaha alto.  The guys in the (pro) shop knew she hadn't played for yonks, and it was all rather intimidating for her, but to the amazement of one and all she just picked up the horn and started running through scales and arpeggios with very few bum notes, despite the blowing being hard work on account of the particular reed fitted.  Verily, she's the musician I'll never be.

 

Q.  Why is a sax solo like a sneeze?

 

A.  You can always tell when it's coming, but you can never do much about it ...

 

[The Johnster]

Not a musician, just a percussionist; we only hang around with musicians.  I play with a local community latin american percussion group, Samba Galez, check out the website and check the band out at Monmouth Carnival on Sunday if you’re in the area; I’m not signed up for this particular gig.  I was dragged into this by a former girlfriend who has since left both me and the band(and, at a later date, this mortal coil, sadly).  It’s huge fun, and has very greatly increased my appreciation and enjoyment of music that I listen to.  Another ex was a clarinet player. 
 

At a Karaoke or open mike level, I can hold a song, but not as well as The Squeeze, who comes from a more musical background in Poland and as well as singing would be a competent keyboard player if she kept her practice up.  Her sister is a classically trained violinist and has a 3-octave singing range.  
 

What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend?

 

Homeless. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by The Johnster

[Pete the Elaner]

4 hours ago, spikey said:

Not a musician and at my age unlikely to ever become one, but I am enjoying teaching myself keyboards, learning to read as I go.  Having said that, I'm not looking forward to getting my head round the bass clef, which is next on my to-do list.  Always fancied guitar but could never get to grips, whereas with keyboards everything seems more "logical", and for me intuitive.

 

 

If you play music, then surely you're a musician? It doesn't mean you are a pro.

Once I chose to learn the bass, that drew me towards learning the bass stave. It would help if the notes were in the same place on each, but they are a line away from being 2 octaves apart.

I know what you mean about the keyboard be more intuitive. I used to think the natural notes were equidistant & the flats/sharps were squeezed between them, but learning the fretboard has made me realise otherwise: the notes are all equidistant but some are called sharps/flats. When learning a string instrument, you need to know where the sharps/flats are, because they are not marked. The pattern of sharps makes it easy to find the note you want on the keyboard though.

Edited June 24, 2022 by Pete the Elaner

[friscopete]

Guitarist and singer  .Americana ,blues , jazz and a sort of country bluegrass style .Used to play and sing at jazz open mikes and blues jams but covid has stopped it iot seems  at least for me .Oh well .at least I still have most  my  long hair at 75 which is much more important than any playing ability ...... as we all know .

[spikey]

11 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 ... Once I chose to learn the bass, that drew me towards learning the bass stave. It would help if the notes were in the same place on each, but they are a line away from being 2 octaves apart.

 

 

At least we're not playing the viola: some of the music for that seems to be in the alto clef, or possibly the tenor - neither of which I knew existed until recently!

 

Q.  How do you stop your violin being stolen?

 

A.  Put it in a viola case.

 

[MartynJPearson]

I started to play (electric) guitar at the end of 2020, and then built myself a bass guitar from a kit at the end of last year. and seem to be getting on a lot better with the bass. My daughter revising for her GCSEs meant that I took a bit of a break and the only reason my electric guitar ability didn't go downhill was that it was already at the bottom. 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

Our cats are musicians.  They play the piano at 3 am

 

[ColinK]

About 5 years ago my wife and I went to a bluegrass festival in Moniaive near Dumfries. It was pouring down so we decided to sit in on a double bass workshop.  Afterwards I emailed my friends, ‘been to Moniaive, escaped without buying a double bass’.  Much to my surprise, one replied, ‘would you like to borrow mine?’  I didn’t know he had one. It took 6 months to get down to see him and collect it.

 

We managed to find a tutor locally who gave us some great lessons and indeed he still does. Playing just on our own we learnt to play melodies on the bass which is a bit different.  Living in a small bungalow the acoustic bass was a bit big.  One day I came home and the wife had been to Promenade Music in Morecambe, seen an electric upright bass and bought it.  It is much smaller and easier to carry, but sounds just as good. We now have one each.
 

The real breakthrough came during lockdown when I spotted a online ‘Bluegrass Slow Jam’ being run by The Globe Bar in Newcastle using zoom.  It was fantastic, I really enjoyed it and learnt so much.  Mrs K only managed one week then got recalled to work. I did both 10 week courses, then passed on what I had learnt onto Mrs K. As well as increasing our musical ability, it gave us confidence to play.

 

Once lockdown ended the Slow Jam went face to face and despite it being a 250 mile round trip, we decided to go and our musical ability continued to improve.  The Globe bar also hosts live music and at the end of the term the tutor arranged for the Slow Jam group to perform on stage as the support act to a real band - what a fantasic experience and superb confidence builder.  We missed the last winter term due to the difficulty of travelling in bad weather, but are still taking part - the next term will start in September.

 

Since then I got invited to play bass for a local appalachan dance group (they meet when the wife is at work) and in one of our practices we were joined by a top American fiddler who was staying nearby. Otherwise I’m a bit stuck as there is very little music to join in locally - one group says ‘beginners welcome provided you don’t mess it up’.

[HeeleyBridge]

Rumour has it that I'm a musician. I've been playing guitar almost as long as I've been playing with trains.

[Anadin Dogwalker]

Bass for me too. I've a 70s jazz bass I gigged at uni and a bunch of Rickenbackers that dont often see daylight, never mind electricity. 

 

Q: How do you know when the stage is level?

 

A: The drool comes out both sides of the drummers mouth

 

[choo1choo]

2 hours ago, Anadin Dogwalker said:

Bass for me too. I've a 70s jazz bass I gigged at uni and a bunch of Rickenbackers that dont often see daylight.

 

 

Yet another bass player . 1976 Fender precision, 1991 Peavey Foundation Fretless, and a Fender Tele for those Danny Gatton/Roy Buchanan wish I had as many fingers as them moments!

 

Craig  (74 but still 18 at heart)

[rab]

I guess I'd be classed as a retired musician; used to play but don't any more.

 

Had piano lessons as a kid, but gave up after a while; I didn't like being stuck indoors practicing when all my mates were out enjoying themselves, but at least I learned the basics of music theory.

 

Joined a brass band in my teens, and played on and off for about 15 years; started on trombone, then had a go at tenor horn for a while, ended up on bass (aka tuba).

The other guys used to laugh at me when we were marching.

Being short, all you could see was the instrument with two legs sticking out below.

 

Started learning the organ in my 40's, which l enjoyed but gave up part way through.

Got roped in to play at the local church when they found out, but it was very much Eric Morecambe style all the right notes, not necessarily in the right order.

 

Again other interests came along, including model railways,and the electronic organ became a bit of a white elephant stuck in the corner gathering dust, so when we moved house I got rid of it.

 

Often see them advertised on FB and am tempted to get one, but as l don't have time to do all I want to now, there's a not much point in getting involved in something else.

 

These days I prefer going to concerts, enjoy the music and let someone else do the practising

Edited June 27, 2022 by rab

[iL Dottore]

Somehow this seems appropriate:

 

JAKE: Put the band back together. We'll do a few gigs. We get some bread. Bang! 5000 bucks.
ELWOOD: Well, puttin' the band back together might not be that easy, Jake.

JAKE: What are you talking about?

ELWOOD: They split. They all took straight jobs.

 

The Blues Brothers

 

I really wish that my musical abilities were better developed: I am a “bargain basement bass” and have sung in choirs and I have been playing guitar – off and on (mostly “off“) – since I was a teenager. But for numerous reasons – including life and work getting in the way – I have never really had (taken?) the time to sit down and develop my guitar playing, which is fairly rudimentary. 

I think one of the advantages of model railways over playing a musical instrument, is that unlike with a musical instrument you can put a modelling project down, walk away from it and six months later pick it up again without any discernible loss of skill. Whereas, in comparison, unless you are playing/practising every day you very quickly lose your “chops“.

 

Now that I am of retirement age, I am hoping to A) finally finish building my model railway and B) get a band together and put on a concert for friends, relations, acquaintances (and anybody else who doesn’t get out of town fast enough)

 

[08221]

I couldn’t read music until I took up playing the cornet at the age of 40. Learnt to play and read music with the guidance of people at Rugeley power station brass band and joined their ranks at performances a few months later.

 

Have never looked back, it’s been such great fun and have met some lovely people. Been to loads of places I would never have been to otherwise and it’s kept me going through some very difficult times.

 

Moved with the band to Lea Hall colliery club in Rugeley when the power station shut, but now play for Uttoxeter town band following a recent house move - agaIn a lovely group of people whom I am lucky to play music with.

[Quarryscapes]

Bass player here, theoretically at least, I'm not sure when I last actually played it. 

[Zero Gravitas]

What a lot of bass players - and I’m another one.  Possibly my most prized possession is my 1987 Wal Custom, purchased new from the Bass Centre when it was still in Wapping.

[t-b-g]

I always wanted to play guitar and when my eldest daughter went to uni. and left her guitar at home, I picked it up and taught myself a few chords.

 

I never will be any good but I am encouraged when I find "proper" artists who were not really that great either at playing guitar or singing. People like Kris Kristofferson and John Prine. So if I learn their songs, I can just about convince myself that I can get away with it. My playing is strictly for my own pleasure, at home in the railway shed when nobody else can hear me and I have never dared to perform in front of anybody else.

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 25/06/2022 at 11:05, ColinK said:

Since then I got invited to play bass for a local appalachan dance group (they meet when the wife is at work)

 

Your wife must work in a big office!

 

Mike.

[iL Dottore]

I got one of my guitars out the other day....

 

My roadie wasn't impressed...

 

Back to the rehearsal room m'thinks...

[Pete the Elaner]

I started to learn reading music a little over 6 months ago & also learning more about music theory.

It raised such questions like "why are notes repeated & what is it which makes each "A's for example" a similarity while their pitches are different?

& also Why are different notes in a scale called seconds thirds, etc but fourths & fifths are 'perfect'. What is so perfect about them?

I couldn't get answers to these from my friends but I found them on the internet.

 

I also became interested in visiting music shops & trying different basses. My original one was a used active jazz bass, which I bought at what I felt like was a decent price. I had never played a bass (or a guitar) before so how would I know if it felt good or not?

The first 'next one' I tried was a Fender Precision bass about a month ago. I believe it was a Mexican one because it's price was £700. It felt so much better than mine, particularly how it lacked fret buzz. After looking at a couple more, I bought a new Yamaha PJ bass with passive pickups & put some flatwound strings on it.

It seems that passive pickups give a lovely clean tone but they can suffer from interference, which seems to be the case with mine. The hum can be corrected with some DIY.

That is something else to think about, but I really like the tone & feel of my new one.

I am not at a level where I can read notes from the bass stave & find them on the fretboard fairly quickly, but not up to sight reading standard quite yet.

[SouthernRegionSteam]

Seemingly in the minority, I was encouraged by my parents (thankfully so, looking back!) to learn the piano. I ended up having lessons for 10 years, however, I always struggled to read music. After those 10 years, I realised that I was far more interested in 'writing' music (i.e. making stuff up as I go along), so for a few months I asked my teacher to teach me more about what goes into writing music. That didn't last long as I quickly grew tired of the theory side of things, and found that it took the fun out of it (as an aside, I never took music exams for the same reason). A short while later, and a chance conversation with a chef whilst working at a pub (as you do), resulted in getting a copy of Reason (a DAW).  This was a huge turning point for me, and, long story short, eventually I started writing music for a few of my friend's video games. Unfortunately, I got burned out, so music making stopped for a couple of years. Nowdays, I'm focusing far more on modelmaking and photography than music, although very occassionally I will write a song. Here's the only one I have a video for, written/filmed/edited back in 2019:

 

I have written many instrumental pieces over the years, but not many are online, for various reasons! 

Perhaps rather ridiculously, the only artist I listen to is Mark Knopfler. Nothing beats his songwriting, at least to me.
One day I'd like to learn to play the guitar, but for now all my music is 'in the box', so to speak. I use an Oxygen 88 MIDI keyboard, and as mentioned, this goes through Reason 8. Making my own music means that I never have to worry about copyright strikes on the videos I produce!

[ColinK]

That’s an excellent video and sound track - really well done. 

[57xx]

Another guitarist/bassist here. Somewhere in Wheeltappers is a Guitar thread that could be worth a look.

Start around 15years old, totally self taught. I used to be able to read music, but never translated that to guitar so all the stuff I learned initially was all by ear. Then later on when the newsgroups on the internet were getting going I found tabs and started using them. It's all just for fun, I don't play in a band in any capacity, just enjoy playing along to things at home.

[spikey]

19 hours ago, SouthernRegionSteam said:

Seemingly in the minority, I was encouraged by my parents (thankfully so, looking back!) to learn the piano ...

 

Gosh.  I was put off learning the piano by my parents.  When I was about 9, I came home from school one day to find a piano in the front room, this being a donation from a neighbour.  Next came the blind man to tune it, after which I was expected to learn to play it with the (sole) help of a long strip of card with notation thereon which slotted in upright behind the keys.

 

Needless to say, that was a total non-starter, and it was responsible for putting me right off the idea of learning to play an instrument until a tentative brush with guitars in my 50s.  That too went nowhere.  What finally did the trick was the impulse buy of £100-worth of Casio CTS300, to which I (surprisingly) took like a duck to water.  Now on a Korg EK50 and loving the thing :)

Edited June 30, 2022 by spikey
the inevitable typo